Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-04-09
DRIFT.

DRIFT.
Last week noticed In the elSrELLiaENcwR
thas Lancaster now has an "Algouk In Club"
1 understand, too, that the name Of the club
10 the only thing that hes been changed. In
all other respects IL II 70 retain oil the excel.
lent characteristirs and features that maie II
from its Organization one Of the most respec-
table, solid and successful clubs Of our city,
combining the best social features with other
even higher purposeA In camp ut York
Furnace lest August certainly was . most de.
lightful one. Its Ladiee' Day WAS . grand
succeeA And It's Annual Dinner, with its
tiow Of wit and wisdom, an OCCASION long 70
be remembered.
The active aud genial president OF the Al.
gonktns Mr.. Harry Z. Moore tells me that
there are going to be some notable improve
ments made at the annual camp this summer.
But - they are not yet fully matured guess
l had better not say anything about them
here. The new name, however, IL an im.
provement that 10 fully accomplished, and
most Satisfactorily, too. Certainly no bet.
ter name for club with the aims and plans
Of this one could have been selected.
Al first thought the name Algonkin was
too big. too general but 1t 10 not any bigger
than what the club aims to become and to 90
complish in the future A smaller and more
/ local, or specific name II might some time
have outgrown. 1t will hardly ever outgrow
the name Aigoukin. For the Algonkin was
| one Of the two great Indian nations who in
| early times were the sole posscesors OF the
| whole vast region now embraced by Canada
/ and the eastern United States, north of the
/ thirty .6ffh Nj Tho piyala nj ha
Algonkins were the IroquOis, whose name
| has already been appropriated BY the famous
| "froquois Club" Of Chicago Besides this
fact, there are other reasons Why for the Lam.
have been nearly ss appropriate as that OF
| Algonkin. For, according 70 DR.. Brintou,
| one of the highest authorities on the subject
in America the 1roquots were rsce OF
| warriors coursgeouAc cruel, ,unrnsRinative but
| OF rare political sAgacity. Ttey are more like
ancient Romans than Indians and are lead.
| ing figures in the colonial wars" Now those
are chsrscteristics to which, l sn sure, zone
Of the gentlemen Of the Algonkin club care
| to lay any Claim. They don't aspire to be
warriors, though their courage Is unques.
| toned. They are In no sense cruel, per
hsps il WAS their mild and gentle, merciful
and sympathetic, dispostion that kept them
from hooking more than q few, very lew,
| of the sportive tasA unimagnative they are
not, ss all will testify who listened to the
| musical improvisations OF the clubs gay and
/ l0StlNe uOuUouOuI. NOI w tucy HIOicso duy
political sagaciiy, but wish it to be distinctly
| understood that their organization has "no
political Significance whatever"
The disposition and characteristics OF the
Algonkin nation we're much more In accord
with those Of the club that has taken Its
name Says Dr. Brinton: "They were
more genial than the Iroquois, of milder
manners and more vivid fancy, and were ro-
garded by these with . curious mixture OF
respect and contempt Some writer hes con.
nected this difference with their preferences
for the open prairie country In contrast with
the endless and somber forest where were
the homes Of the lroquoiA Their history
sbounds in great men, whose ambitious
plans were foiled by the levity OF their allies
and their want Of persistence. They It was
who under King Philip fought the Puritan
| doomed to death every white trespAsser on
their soil who, led by Tecumseh and Black
Hawk, gathered the clans Of the forest and
mountain for the last pitched battle OF the races
mild.mannered Lenni Lenape, who little
forebOded the hand OF iron that grasped theiI
own 50 softly under the elm tree OF Shack
| amazon to them the restless Shawnee, the
| Lake Superior and also to them the lndiat
| girl Pocahontas, who in the legend averted
from the head Of the white man the blow
which, rebounding, swept away her iathel
| and all his Iibe.'
II had space should like to give sketcf
OF the religion, myths. and legends of th'
Algonkins, a. they have been collected snC
explained by DR.. D. q. Brinton, In his valu,
able work on "Myths of the New World,
published some years ago by Henry Holt
Co, and especially by Mr.. Leland in his still
kin Legends Of New England" published
, by HoughtoD. Mifiiin Il Co The latter hs
, | l believe, made some material additions :,
and corrections OF DIR. Brinton's researches IL
. | tho same general field OF study. Perhap
some day, when get Mr.. Leland's book,
shall tell more about It. He has carefully
examined and diciphered much OF the Nov
England picture writing of the Algonkins
and have an idea that perhaps his worl
materially, or ct least py SUGGESTION, II any o
them intend TO study the hieroglyphics Of
! the rocks In the Susquehanna At any rate
it is . hook that the members OF the cluI
ought to get and read.
No doubt, II one could only get at the early
history OF our country, II the rocks and tree
along the river could tell Us OF all that they
have witnessed, from the days when Capt
John Smith paddled up the river nearly /
| not quite up TO York Furnace, and wher
| pefchance the lovely Pocahontas herself lef
the impress OF her dainty moccasins ON the
L mos Wn0ro now otAuOe Tue peVulOu,-h n
the history Of thoes early provincial day
could be revealed, - We hope some time
will be by our Historical Society, ther,
| would be abundant material found for msny
. romance - intensely Interesting and deeply
| pathetic - the late John Esten Cookies NJ
Lady Pocahontas," made doubly charming
read, a. l did last summer, TO the accompani
ment OF the SusquehAnna's murmurinf
waves, and the whispering OF the ancien
trees overhead, there on the river hills which
may themselves have heard the war cry O
| POWhattAn's braves, or even seen the 70
doubtable Smith himself, u not the graceful
form OF the little Algonkin princess.
have been reading quite different L inc
of Q romance the last few days, however,-al
the more romantic and interesting because
wholly true and free from even the slightss
suspicion of fiction 1t is nothing less thar
| Prof. Mendonhslls little work, recently u
sued by Houghton Miffiin Il Co, of Boston
entitled A Century of Electricity. 1t 10
clear concise, and yet etcomprehensive enough
account Of the progress that has been made In
electric science during the Last hundred
years, that In. virtually, from the beginning
OF the science up 70 its present condition
And what marvellous history 1t is /! Though
told - soberiy and briefly - possible, with
no ine.writing, no straining after dramatic